Acting police Chief Regina McDonald plans to disband Pittsburgh's three-officer graffiti squad, a move being criticized by other city officials who say the detail will be needed in the future and just have to be re-formed anyway.

The squad was formed in 2006 because of rampant problems with vandalism and made a number of high-profile arrests, including two spray-paint vandals who both got prison sentences and, combined, were sentenced to pay nearly $300,000 in restitution.

Steve Root, a member of the South Side Community Council's Graffiti Watch, says disbanding the squad is a "big mistake."